Melissa Auf der Maur Announces First Solo Concerts in 15 Years

Melissa Auf der Maur is gearing up to play her first solo shows in over a decade.

The former Smashing Pumpkins and Hole bassist has announced two Canadian concerts in 2027. She’ll take the stage at Toronto's Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) on Jan. 15, followed by Montréal’s Le Gesù on Jan. 17. They’re set to be Auf der Maur’s first solo live performances in 15 years.

She’s performing in support of Bass Womb Room, a multimedia project that’s part of Auf der Maur's current exhibition at the AGO, My '90s Rock Photographs.

“As an extension of my recent multimedia memoir projects, I am honoured by the AGO’s invitation to bring the BASS WOMB ROOM to life; it is both a thrilling and terrifying opportunity to integrate my past and present,” she says. “A decade after putting my bass down to experience motherhood and to build community, it is a vulnerable moment for me, as I head back to my bass, the stage and my own voice again.”

The shows will feature material from her solo catalogue and selections from Bass Womb Room: My '90s 4-Track Demos x Field Recordings, her first new music in more than 15 years. Released via Montreal’s Envision Records, the EP accompanies the exhibit.

She’ll be joined on stage by Montreal-based artist Alex Crow and U.S. musician Betsy Wright in Toronto, and violinist Jessica Moss in Montreal. Projections from Auf der Maur's video archives will be shown throughout the performance.

Over the past 15 years, Auf Der Maur has mostly stepped away from the music industry, following her second solo album, Out Of Our Minds, in 2010. She then focused on motherhood and other artistic pursuits, including photography, curation and the non-profit arts centre Basilica Hudson, which she co-founded in New York with her husband Tony Stone.

Earlier this year, she released Even the Good Girls Will Cry: A '90s Rock Memoir, detailing her life and experiences in the two major ‘90s rock bands. Coinciding with her AGO exhibit, she curated a 240-page photography book, My '90s Rock Photographs.

“In releasing my ‘90s rock memoir and my photo archives, I am honouring my lifelong quest to express myself and what it is to be a woman in the 21st century, devoted to music, art and human connection,” she says. “From the womb to the cosmos, and back again, I embrace the cycle of life and artistic exploration.”

Now, fans are just waiting for a Hole reunion.

Melissa Auf der Maur — Bass Womb Room: Canadian Dates

2027

Jan. 15 — Toronto, ON — Art Gallery of Ontario

Jan. 17 — Montreal, QC — Le Gesù

Tickets are available here for Toronto and here for Montreal.